Comments on: Open Thread on Blackboard/ANGEL Merger http://mfeldstein.com/open-thread-on-blackboardangel-merger/ What We Are Learning About Online Learning...Online Sun, 05 Feb 2012 04:42:18 +0000 hourly 1 By: beamer http://mfeldstein.com/open-thread-on-blackboardangel-merger/#comment-1450 beamer Thu, 24 Dec 2009 20:52:01 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=1035#comment-1450 <a href="http://www.imsglobal.org/ProductDirectory/productdirectory1.cfm?auto=1326" rel="nofollow">ATutor 1.6.4</a> gets the IMS Common Cartridge Lite 1.0 seal of approval. Authoring, Importing, & Exporting of cartridges CC-Lite 1.0. http://www.imsglobal.org/community/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=46&threadid=283 ATutor 1.6.4 gets the IMS Common Cartridge Lite 1.0 seal of approval. Authoring, Importing, & Exporting of cartridges CC-Lite 1.0.

http://www.imsglobal.org/community/forum/messageview.cfm?catid=46&threadid=283

]]> By: kcmeredith http://mfeldstein.com/open-thread-on-blackboardangel-merger/#comment-1449 kcmeredith Sun, 02 Aug 2009 05:55:02 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=1035#comment-1449 My thoughts? Blackboard has horrible customer support and a cumbersome LMS. ANGEL has effective customer support and offers intuitive operation. I fear the acquisition will lead to the same deplorable service with ANGEL that we experienced with Blackboard. Faculty working 70+ hours a week over the holiday break because there were so many problems with upgrades, our IT department writing their own patches for Blackboard because someone had to get the LMS running before classes started. Our college was essentially beta-testing an incomplete and inadequate product--and paying Blackboard to do so! When our institution began shopping around for another LMS, Blackboard threatened to immediately discontinue the contract upon any decision to switch, leaving us without an LMS at all in the middle of a semester. Apparently the contract with them contained a clause allowing them to terminate with 30 days notice. Does this sound like a company interested in serving the college market or a desperate corporate monster driven by nothing but profit margins? My suspicion is that Blackboard has gone after ANGEL because it's easier to buy a profitable LMS than fix the existing problems with what they already own. If this acquisition doesn't create a monopoly in the LMS market, I can't imagine what does.... My thoughts? Blackboard has horrible customer support and a cumbersome LMS. ANGEL has effective customer support and offers intuitive operation.

I fear the acquisition will lead to the same deplorable service with ANGEL that we experienced with Blackboard. Faculty working 70+ hours a week over the holiday break because there were so many problems with upgrades, our IT department writing their own patches for Blackboard because someone had to get the LMS running before classes started. Our college was essentially beta-testing an incomplete and inadequate product–and paying Blackboard to do so! When our institution began shopping around for another LMS, Blackboard threatened to immediately discontinue the contract upon any decision to switch, leaving us without an LMS at all in the middle of a semester. Apparently the contract with them contained a clause allowing them to terminate with 30 days notice. Does this sound like a company interested in serving the college market or a desperate corporate monster driven by nothing but profit margins?

My suspicion is that Blackboard has gone after ANGEL because it’s easier to buy a profitable LMS than fix the existing problems with what they already own.

If this acquisition doesn’t create a monopoly in the LMS market, I can’t imagine what does….

]]> By: Michael Feldstein http://mfeldstein.com/open-thread-on-blackboardangel-merger/#comment-1448 Michael Feldstein Fri, 12 Jun 2009 01:21:40 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=1035#comment-1448 With respect, Julia, while I like Moodle and find it quite usable, it's hard for me to draw conclusions from an evaluation of just four students, particularly since I don't know the conditions, controls, etc. With respect, Julia, while I like Moodle and find it quite usable, it’s hard for me to draw conclusions from an evaluation of just four students, particularly since I don’t know the conditions, controls, etc.

]]> By: Julia http://mfeldstein.com/open-thread-on-blackboardangel-merger/#comment-1447 Julia Wed, 10 Jun 2009 19:57:45 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=1035#comment-1447 I thought you'd be interested in knowing that we Usability-tested 4 students to compared Angel, Blackboard, Moodle and eCollege. Students prefer Moodle to other LMS's. So for colleges that are looking to decide what alternative LMS they could use after the Blackboard-Angel acquisition, our usability test show students are likely to recommend and feel more comfortable with Moodle. I thought you’d be interested in knowing that we Usability-tested 4 students to compared Angel, Blackboard, Moodle and eCollege. Students prefer Moodle to other LMS’s. So for colleges that are looking to decide what alternative LMS they could use after the Blackboard-Angel acquisition, our usability test show students are likely to recommend and feel more comfortable with Moodle.

]]> By: Bob Johnston http://mfeldstein.com/open-thread-on-blackboardangel-merger/#comment-1446 Bob Johnston Fri, 22 May 2009 11:46:21 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=1035#comment-1446 Angel defined themselves and built themselves on Service. Blackboard defined themselves as high priced, low to no service, predatory muscle in the workplace. One can only hope and pray that Angel will re-teach them how to listen and actually CARE for their customers. If not then Open source and Moodle have a bright future for a number of school systems, colleges and universities. Angel defined themselves and built themselves on Service. Blackboard defined themselves as high priced, low to no service, predatory muscle in the workplace. One can only hope and pray that Angel will re-teach them how to listen and actually CARE for their customers. If not then Open source and Moodle have a bright future for a number of school systems, colleges and universities.

]]> By: Glen Moriarty http://mfeldstein.com/open-thread-on-blackboardangel-merger/#comment-1445 Glen Moriarty Tue, 12 May 2009 16:04:34 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=1035#comment-1445 @anonyomous, Scholar360 is very close to being common cartridge compliant. So there are other learning management systems that are there or getting closer : ) @anonyomous, Scholar360 is very close to being common cartridge compliant. So there are other learning management systems that are there or getting closer : )

]]> By: Anonymous http://mfeldstein.com/open-thread-on-blackboardangel-merger/#comment-1444 Anonymous Tue, 12 May 2009 03:08:29 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=1035#comment-1444 Regarding Common Cartridge and the comment that "Your ANGEL content will export for use in ANY system": While ANGEL Learning has incorporated IMS Common Cartridge into their LMS, no other LMS has done so yet. While some have promised to do so (D2L, eCollege, Sakai, Moodle), they haven't yet and some won't for quite some time. Until that happens (if it happens), you won't have anywhere to import your export content. Blackboard has not been very supportive of Common Cartridge. One aspect of CC is authorization scheme that lets the content publisher specify a system for unlocking the content. Since Blackboard makes money for each access code redeemed for a Bb cartridge, they essentially refused to back Common Cartridge unless it contained a way to get around this. Hence, the "CC Lite" compliance level (http://www.imsglobal.org/cc/authv1p0/imscc_authv1p0.html#0_pgfId-1769515). How long will Blackboard let their new ANGEL subsidiary continue to drive the CC spec? Regarding Common Cartridge and the comment that “Your ANGEL content will export for use in ANY system”: While ANGEL Learning has incorporated IMS Common Cartridge into their LMS, no other LMS has done so yet. While some have promised to do so (D2L, eCollege, Sakai, Moodle), they haven’t yet and some won’t for quite some time. Until that happens (if it happens), you won’t have anywhere to import your export content.
Blackboard has not been very supportive of Common Cartridge. One aspect of CC is authorization scheme that lets the content publisher specify a system for unlocking the content. Since Blackboard makes money for each access code redeemed for a Bb cartridge, they essentially refused to back Common Cartridge unless it contained a way to get around this. Hence, the “CC Lite” compliance level (http://www.imsglobal.org/cc/authv1p0/imscc_authv1p0.html#0_pgfId-1769515). How long will Blackboard let their new ANGEL subsidiary continue to drive the CC spec?

]]> By: Etale - Life in the Digital World » Blog Archive » Blackboard / ANGEL - Ten Bumper Sticker Thoughts http://mfeldstein.com/open-thread-on-blackboardangel-merger/#comment-1443 Etale - Life in the Digital World » Blog Archive » Blackboard / ANGEL - Ten Bumper Sticker Thoughts Mon, 11 May 2009 05:01:24 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=1035#comment-1443 [...] to expedite a movement that has already been gaining momentum, ideas about life after the LMS, a post-LMS world, and a recent post-lms manifesto on Jon Mott’s [...] [...] to expedite a movement that has already been gaining momentum, ideas about life after the LMS, a post-LMS world, and a recent post-lms manifesto on Jon Mott’s [...]

]]> By: Tim Chambers http://mfeldstein.com/open-thread-on-blackboardangel-merger/#comment-1442 Tim Chambers Sat, 09 May 2009 06:18:48 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=1035#comment-1442 I've never had experience on either system. I'm an open source man all the way. Angel must have seen it coming when they added the common cartridge system. Makes it much easier for their customers to migrate away from BB towards open-source. There are truly some terrific packages out there, and one would be well advised to consider the full range of offerings. I've tried most of them and the easiest one I have found to use is ATutor. It's got all the communicative software your could ask for, it's quiz functions are the best in the business, and it works well with eXe to give you even more options for developing learning content. It's a very complete VLE and receives a major upgrade with new functionality every six months. Moreover, it works with the common cartridge. A great alternative to Angel. I’ve never had experience on either system. I’m an open source man all the way. Angel must have seen it coming when they added the common cartridge system. Makes it much easier for their customers to migrate away from BB towards open-source. There are truly some terrific packages out there, and one would be well advised to consider the full range of offerings. I’ve tried most of them and the easiest one I have found to use is ATutor. It’s got all the communicative software your could ask for, it’s quiz functions are the best in the business, and it works well with eXe to give you even more options for developing learning content. It’s a very complete VLE and receives a major upgrade with new functionality every six months. Moreover, it works with the common cartridge. A great alternative to Angel.

]]> By: Bob Jones http://mfeldstein.com/open-thread-on-blackboardangel-merger/#comment-1441 Bob Jones Fri, 08 May 2009 23:58:31 +0000 http://mfeldstein.com/?p=1035#comment-1441 Paul, ANGEL supports Common Cartridge exports in their new (7.4) version. Your ANGEL content will export for use in ANY system. So there's a tiny bit of good news... Bob Paul,

ANGEL supports Common Cartridge exports in their new (7.4) version. Your ANGEL content will export for use in ANY system. So there’s a tiny bit of good news…

Bob

]]>